Calculated Risk
by cate's corner
Summary: A multi chapter tag to 1.13 The Beginning. Sometimes even SuperSEAL needs help. Luckily he knows just who to call. H50 crossover with Numb3rs
1. Chapter 1 Unfavourable Odds

I mentioned in my author note for Regrets that I was borrowing a character from one of my other favourite series. After seeing The Beginning on Sunday, my plot bunnies have given me the idea for how Colby Granger from Numb3rs might end up in Hawaii, and how he might get more involvement than just a quick passing line.

I was going to say how many chapters this will run to, but - well, I said there'd be two for Lessons Learned, and look what happened! So I'll just leave the final chapter count open.

Just to set the scene, this story follows directly on from the end of the episode, just after Danny has told Steve that Koji Noshimuri has been killed. There are also references to The Siege.

To keep to timelines for both series, the story takes place after the sixth and *sniff* final season of Numb3rs, so both Don and Charlie are now married. But I'd like to think that Don is still in charge of the LA field office, and that Charlie still consults for him.

I hope you enjoy!

Calculated Risk - Chapter One

Unfavourable Odds

This was bigger than Steve McGarret had ever realized. More complex than he'd ever imagined. Staring at the images in front of him, he knew the answers to so many questions lay within them. Not just his father's murder, or his mother's, or what had happened to Mary, but… more. Just so much more.

The secrets and circumstances that bound those events together were still a minefield of clues. That minefield had already claimed two precious lives, and as he continued to stare at these images – yes, Steve knew through a sickening clench in his gut that more innocent casualties would follow.

Knowing that Mary was safe now, on her way back on the mainland, offered him precious comfort. He'd done everything he could, to keep her out of the crossfire that he knew was coming. Declaring war on such a connected kingpin as Hiro Noshimuri could only end in blood and bullets.

Now he had to do the same for his team. For Chin. For Kono. And for Danny.

_Especially_ for Danny. He was his partner, after all. The most obvious target for any revenge that Noshimuri tried to take.

Danny could take care of himself, of course. Hell, he could take care of the whole damn planet. What his Jersey boy lacked in height, he more than made up for with street-smart attitude. But that only eased some of Steve's concern now, as he considered what Danny had just told him.

Koji Noshimuri was dead, the victim of another highly and disturbingly convenient 'accident'. His equally ruthless brother was the most obvious suspect behind it, and… dear God! Steve had to grip the table now, as tiredness and the full scale of what he was facing overwhelmed him.

If Hiro Noshimuri could kill his own brother, what the hell could he do to his partner? His team? Anyone else who dared to get in his way?

And what if Pat Jameson was right? What if this was so big that she couldn't fully protect him? He could well be on his own on this one, so he had to start putting this massive puzzle together, fast. Find answers, anticipate his enemy's attack, and work out his counter-strategy, but… _damn_, he was tired.

He'd been running on adrenalin and little else for the past three days now, and it was starting to tell. Even without the silent anxiety that he could sense beside him, Steve knew he was almost burnt out.

He had to keep going, though – if just long enough to pull out his cellphone, and make a crucial call to Los Angeles. And just as he'd known he would be, Danny was asking questions before he'd finished dialling.

"Calling Mary on the airphone?"

Taking a deep breath, bracing himself for what he knew was coming, Steve shook his head.

"No, she was pretty worn out when I left her. If she's sleeping, I won't want to wake her."

An approving nod was good. The next inevitable question… well, _not_ so good.

"So who are you calling at this time of night? We're in the wrong state for Ghostbusters."

'_Deep breath_, _Steven_, _and brace for impact_…'

"Just a friend that I think can help us with this."

Danny's left eyebrow went up, followed by his right, and… damn, he was like a dog with a bone.

"A… _friend_? What _kind_ of friend? A _proper_ friend, or some freaky kickass ninja friend?"

'_Keep it up_, _Danno_, _and_ _I_'_ll_ _kickass_ _you b__ack to Jersey._'

"A friend who can help me make sense of _that,_" Steve replied, nodding towards the table – holding up a hand to stave off the questions and objections that, in truth, he was in no mood to face. "This thing is big, Danny. More complex than I think even the Governor can handle."

As he'd hoped, Danny just stared at him this time, as the implications of what he'd said sank in – giving Steve just the time he needed to make the call that might, just _might_, keep them _both_ alive.

When he hung up, several minutes later, so the recipient of that call pensively did the same. Reminded of so many memories, for so many reasons, Colby Granger sat staring at his phone – so deep in thought that he didn't notice Don had joined him until his friend and boss sat on the edge of his desk.

"Hey, Colby. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Don… just… uh, had an interesting call," Colby explained, smiling back at him. "An old buddy of mine needs help on a case, and… well, he needs Charlie's help too."

Still keenly watching his friend, Don nodded. Such requests weren't unusual, of course. But the uncertainty on Colby's face _definitely_ was. A few seconds and a raised eyebrow later, Colby sighed and explained why it was there.

"The thing is, Don, this… uh, case isn't in LA, or even the mainland. It's in Hawaii."

"_Hawaii_?" Don echoed, staring at his friend in disbelief that quickly turned to open delight. It was raining hard outside, so a trip to paradise was just too good a chance to pass up. Even so, he couldn't resist teasing his junior agent - pausing for a moment, before gleefully turning the smile on Colby's face into a wide eyed, 'oh, crap' stare.

"Okay, I'll call Charlie and tell him to pack. And I'll leave _you_ to ask Nikki to stay here and hold the fort."


	2. Chapter 2 Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Wow, thank you so much for these reviews! All these Numb3rs and Colby fans - you've made this fangirl _very_ happy!

Okay, here we are with chapter two - the first meeting between Danny and Colby. And after what happened with Nick Taylor - well, as the title for this chapter suggests, our favourite Jersey boy is on full alert. I hope you enjoy, and - well, let battle commence ;o)

Calculated Risk - Chapter Two

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Danny Williams had been born to be a cop. His ability to anticipate trouble made him a natural. And when such dangers threatened people he cared about, those instincts hit mother-hen overdrive. He'd seen Steve betrayed once by one of his old friends. Almost killed by that betrayal. He was damned if he'd let that happen again.

"So this Granger guy. He's okay?"

Even while his eyes rolled in exasperation, Steve couldn't help but smile, as amused by Danny's suspicion as he was grateful for what it signified. Danny was, as ever, looking out for him. Once bitten with Nick Taylor, twice shy with Colby Granger.

"Yes, Danny, he's okay. Colby's as straight as they come, he's one of the best," he said at last – rolling his eyes again through the inevitable '_yeah_, _right_' glance that, as ever, silently questioned his sanity. "Yeah, I know what happened with Nick, but… look, trust me, he's _no_ Nick Taylor."

"_You_ I trust. It's your crazy ninja friends that I tend to have trouble with," Danny retorted – the slight smile on his face taking the edge off his words as he continued to study the crowds.

One person in particular caught his eye, especially when Steve waved back at him, and he groaned – throwing up his hands in exasperation as he followed Steve to greet their federal reinforcements.

"Jeez, didn't you know any _normal_ sized people in the Army?"

"_Navy,_" Steve corrected him, the grin widening into the devilish smirk that Danny truly, _truly_, hated. "Although Colby _was_ in the Army, so I'll give you that one."

"Generosity, thy name is Steven," Danny shot back just as dryly, still eyeing the Colby in question.

If there was one thing he'd learned in Jersey, it was how to read people. Their faces. Body language. That's why he'd hated Nick Taylor on sight. As soon as he saw him, he'd known he was trouble. But as he continued to study him, Danny knew the same couldn't be said for Colby Granger.

He had none of the arrogance that had set those senses on edge. Instead he radiated genuine warmth. A shade shorter than Steve – '_but still built like a damn barn_' – his face was open. Friendly. Honest.

Striding into Steve's back-pounding hug, he was genuinely pleased to see him. No hidden motives. And when he turned to Danny, without _any_ prompting, his smile was as broad as his country-boy drawl.

"Hey, how're you doin'?"

Whoa, good handshake! Even if it made his eyes water, that was a _damn_ good handshake. It earned the newcomer a grin as Danny tried to discreetly rub the feeling back into his fingers.

Steve was smiling too, in silent relief and approval. Life with a happy Danny was just _so_ much easier. More seriously, he knew both of them would need to be at the top of their game for this case. They needed help, not bickering distractions, and… okay, that help wasn't _quite_ what he'd expected. Judging by the way Danny's eyebrows disappeared into his forehead, he'd thought the same thing.

Professor Charlie Eppes didn't look like _any_ math teacher they'd known in high school. He was younger, for a start, more like the students in his class than a tutor who taught them. As for his hair, a wild mop of curls… damn, Steve had to quickly stifle a snigger of laughter.

'_Wherever you get your gel supply_, _Danno_, _you might want to stock up._'

His brother, though, standing behind him, was certainly closer to their idea of an FBI agent. Serious, intense. Watching Colby introduce them with eyes that were friendly enough, but that still saw _everything_.

"Steve, this Don Eppes, head of LA Operations, and his brother, Charlie."

"Welcome to Hawaii," Steve grinned, turning to introduce Danny with the same pride that Colby had shown. "This is my partner, Detective Danny Williams."

Stepping forward for the obligatory handshake, Danny saw Don's eyes widen slightly – so familiar with this reaction now that he just smiled back and proudly patted his tie.

"As I keep telling Steve here, I like to look professional. It's a Jersey thing."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Colby sighed, casting the same martyred look towards Don. "I was in a suit and tie for over ten months before _he_ told me I could dress in civvies."

"Hey, you looked good in 'em, Idaho. I didn't want to cramp your style," Don grinned – knowing from another good natured glare that he'd still pay for that when they got home.

First, though, they had work to do. They had a case to solve, in potentially dangerous ground. And part of him still worried about the latest puzzle that Charlie's skills had led him into. But as he followed his brother outside, subtly watching him all the while, Don had to admit – working that case in such a breathtakingly beautiful place really wasn't _that_ much of a hardship.

Hawaii was every bit as stunning as he'd seen on TV, and yet beyond its idyllic beauty – no, as he continued to glance around him, Don Eppes couldn't help but feel a ripple of unease. Glancing sideways, he saw the same disquiet on three other faces. Colby. McGarrett. Williams. There was trouble in this paradise. Deadly trouble. And they were walking, head on, straight into it.


	3. Chapter 3 Meetings Of Minds

There's reference to some episodes here - 1.05 Missing for H50, and 2.22 Backscatter for Numb3rs. Both have wonderful scenes that I've incorporated into this chapter.

I hope you enjoy it, and thank you again for such encouraging reviews. Oh, and for all you angst fans out there, stay tuned for chapter four ;o)

Calculated Risk - Chapter Three

Meetings Of Minds

Charlie Eppes stared around him, as if all his lifetime of birthdays had come at once. Don's office was hardly a slouch in the technology department, of course, but this was –

"Wow!"

– a familiar reaction, if the broad grins on four watching faces were anything to go by.

"Yeah, we have some pretty good stuff here," Steve said at last, throwing Danny the irresistible bone. "Although some of us are still in the days of string phones and Pac-Man."

Five seconds later, complete with growl, his faithful little terrier threw that bone right back at him.

"Bite me, Pretzel-Head."

Grinning too, at the bickering that felt strangely familiar, Don glanced towards his two other hosts. "These two like this all the time?"

"Why do you think we have separate offices?" Chin replied through an equally broad smile – deciding this was a good time to get back to business as two pairs of eyes glared in his direction. "Okay, Charlie, we have all the images here. We've tried to get them into some kind of order for you."

"No, no, no… that's, uh, okay," Charlie assured him, already studying his latest challenge – tapping several images into smaller groups before sweeping them onto the main plasma. "What I'd give for one of these," he enthused, turning a pleadingly hopeful look towards his brother.

Immune to its puppy-dog charms, at least he kept telling himself that, Don just shrugged.

"Hey, don't look at me, Chuck. Ask the budget guys when we get back home."

"Yeah, right. They throw a hissy fit if I ask for chalk and a new whiteboard," Charlie muttered, on the verge of a hissy fit himself when he realized what Don had said, and what he'd called him. "And what have I told you about calling me Chuck?"

"Would you prefer nerd instead?" Don grinned, clearly enjoying himself as he winked at Colby – assuming from his speculative glances under the table that his junior agent was about to dive for cover beneath it.

Feeling the strangest sense of déjà vu, Chin nudged his cousin, sharing her mischievous thoughts.

"Remind you of anyone?"

"We'll be sending them to naughty corners next," Kono agreed in a wisely self-preserving whisper – as grateful as her cousin was that Steve and Danny had been enjoying the other bout of brotherly bickering too much to hear them.

It was almost a shame to get back to business, but Steve knew he had to steer them back onto it.

"My sister thought she could see a pattern in that group," he said at last, pointing back at the screen.

"Yes, mathematical analysis generally falls into patterns," Charlie agreed, tapping out another set – warming to the passion of his life now as he swept Hiro Noshimuri's picture onto the plasma. "By using that, I can apply pursuit curve theory to identify your suspect's past actions, and predict his next move."

Between two proudly knowing grins, four other faces stared back at him in polite 'say what?' blankness – Danny the first to break the silence as he noticed that even SuperSEAL was trying to keep up.

"Hey, I'm right with you, Prof, but could you break it down for my friend here?"

Enjoying himself too much to be offended, and clearly used to this reaction, Charlie grinned too – glancing briefly back at the screen while his brain slid down several gears into 'mere mortal' mode. And it was Colby's turn now to offer some dryly mischievous advice as he pulled up a chair and sat down.

"You might want to get comfy, guys. Charlie-class is fun, but they're more comfortable when you're sitting down."

Pointedly ignoring his still grinning friend, Charlie took a deep breath and tried again.

"Okay, imagine Noshimuri as a school of fish, and yourselves as the shark that's hunting for him."

Not the most flattering comparison in the world, but at least he had everyone's attention now – well, aside from a muttered exchange about shark cages that he chose, very wisely, to ignore.

"Each fish is a piece of information about him. Who he knows, the places he goes to, his friends, who he works with, and so on."

Guessing now where this analogy was heading, Steve nodded and rose to his feet.

"And the more we know about him, the better chance we have to avoid any attack," he said at last, his eyes widening slightly, in genuine surprise, for what the young mathematician said next.

"Exactly. And you have a lot of data here already, Steve, but I need more. The more information I have, however trivial or unimportant it might seem, the more accurate my analysis will be."

Already nodding his agreement and understanding, Steve started to stride towards the door – still finding time, though, to smile and proudly squeeze Charlie's shoulder as he moved past him.

"Great job, Charlie. Okay, can you keep working here with Chin and Kono while we… uh… go fishing?" he asked, rolling his eyes as he led Don and Colby out, with his ever helpful partner hot on their heels.

"I hope you packed earplugs. Things tend to go boom when he's in this kind of mood."

Okay, no back-up from his current partner. And from his ex Army counterpart? Damn, no help there either.

"Things tend to go boom with him - _period._"


	4. Chapter 4 Hunter, Hunted

Okay, as promised for all you angst fans, here's chapter four. Until now (I hope!) the story has been pretty light hearted. But things are about to get a _lot_ more serious.

I hope you enjoy this latest chapter, and thank you again for your encouraging reviews :o)

Calculated Risk - Chapter Four

Hunter, Hunted

Danny had spotted them the first time. Two days earlier, before that deadly shootout on Waikiki. Within minutes of leaving the Palace, as Steve headed towards the Pali, he spotted them again. Different cars, of course. A Yakuza hit squad would _never_ make the mistake of using any car twice. But the tactics were unmistakeable. Two synchronised vehicles, taking it in turns to follow them.

Two different cars. The same deadly threat. And his hand was already unclipping his holster.

"We've got company. Tag-tail, black sedan, followed by a grey SUV."

Turning instinctively to identify the threat for themselves, Steve, Don and Colby unclipped their guns too – all four of them feeling the familiar buzz of adrenalin that helped to keep them alive. Whatever this hit squad had in mind, they'd be ready for it, and… _what the hell_?

Swerving instinctively to avoid the van that now loomed ahead of them, Steve cursed in realization that came deadly seconds too late. They'd been so occupied with watching two vehicles that none of them had considered a third.

By the time they recovered, they were surrounded, penned in by a classic and deadly ambush – all instinctively diving for cover as gunfire raked through their windows, showering them in glass. Any kind of movement was going to expose them to a deadly rain of bullets, but they had no choice. If they stayed put, they were sitting ducks. If they could get outside, at least they could fight back.

Four doors flew open, and four bodies tumbled into the meagre space that their cover provided – surreal relief that they weren't in the Camaro flashing through Danny's mind now as he hit the ground. For one thing, he loved that car. More crucially, the SUV's size gave him far better protection.

It was one hell of a mess, of course, its doors and flanks already riddled with impacts of battle, but – no, as he flashed the briefest of glances around him, he thanked God that it was still in one piece.

Years of training from three sources, the police, the FBI, and military special forces kicked in now – melding together into synchronised teamwork as Steve, Don, Colby and Danny returned fire. That teamwork provided vital, life-saving strength. But it wasn't enough. _Still_ wasn't enough.

Their attackers weren't just trying to kill them. They had a mission too. An equally horrific agenda. Through the unlikeliest factors of sunlight and human genetics, they'd now found their target. Blond hair made him unmistakeable. His position, closest to them, made him cruelly vulnerable.

From nowhere, a fourth vehicle, a side-doored van, crashed into the fray, and a swarm of masked figures flew out of it – using every second's benefit of '_where-the-hell-did-they-come-from_?' confusion to find him. Even when he took two of that human swarm out, it kept coming, unstoppably, straight towards him – every self defence trick that Danny Williams knew no match, at all, for what he now faced. Four against one. However furiously he fought against them, there was only going to be one winner.

Pinned down by relentless gunfire, there was nothing that Steve, or Don, or Colby could do to stop it. All Steve could do was scream, in helpless fury and frustration, as he watched his partner go down.

"Danny! Danny, _noooooo_!"

Another volley of bullets flew past him, one of them grazing his arm, forcing him to duck down again. But he didn't feel its pain. The only thing that his senses registered was a final yell of defiance. The sight of his now unconscious partner being dragged towards the van behind him, and thrown roughly inside it. The sound of tyres burning themselves into the road, throwing up a haze of smoke from the speed of their escape. His own voice, rising in another desperate but pointless yell.

"Danny, no! No!"

Then silence.

Complete and utter silence.

By the time the dust settled, it was all over. The black sedan and the SUV were nowhere to be seen. The van, too, that had blocked them so expertly, had also vanished into a labyrinth of sidestreets. From start to finish, timed to sickening perfection, the ambush had lasted less than five minutes.

Still shaken by the speed and brutality of its assault, Don and Steve then froze in horror.

When they'd last seen their partners, both had been struggling against several assailants. With a suddenness that had made Steve's blood run cold, Danny had gone down first, hit by the same stun guns that had knocked him out before – Colby's desperate attempt to reach him typically brave and selfless, but ended by the same brutality.

With savage efficiency, Noshimuri's hit squad had achieved its objective. Taken his dreaded revenge. Felled by those tazers, and God knew what else it had taken to subdue him, Danny was gone. In the hands of a ruthless enemy. So was Colby.

The first to recover, Don now pulled out his phone. Calling Charlie. Calling for crucial help. Steve, though, sank down in shock beside him. This wasn't happening, it just _wasn_'_t_ happening. But it was. It had. The nightmare that Steve McGarrett had dreaded had come brutally true. Now all he could do was sit there, Danny's futile yells of defiance still ringing in his ears – defiant words from a different time returning, at this cruellest moment, to haunt his conscience.

'_I am __not g__etting myself killed for your vendetta!_'


	5. Chapter 5 Living By Numbers

I must start this note with an apology for causing some confusion in the last chapter. As a new writer, I need to remember that the way I write things sometimes is rather ambiguous. I really should have made it clearer that Danny and Colby have been kidnapped, and not killed, as I now realize the chapter read them to be. But that's the best thing about posting my stories here - I'm learning from every review and suggestion, so thank you again for both.

I've now revised that chapter to show that Danny and Colby have been kidnapped. So with that all clarified, let's get on with finding out what's happened to them. Oh, and there's just a quick reference to one of my favourite Numb3rs episodes. Given where Colby is in this chapter, I thought it appropriate.

Calculated Risk - Chapter Five

Living By Numbers

For a stunned and bloodied body, consciousness returned slowly. Painfully, _very_ painfully, slowly. Danny Williams had been through this before, of course. Halloween in Hoboken, 2002. And it had hurt like hell. With a brutally one sided attack thrown in for good measure this time, Honolulu 2011 was undoubtedly worse.

As his senses came back into full and nauseating focus, he dazedly ran through the familiar checks for damage. He could taste blood at the corner of his mouth, reminding him that he'd put up one hell of a fight. His ribs, too, had taken their share of Yakuza savagery. It turned each breath into agony, but… no. As his fingers probed gingerly down his sides, he felt solidness beneath the bruises. No breaks.

He still groaned, though when another, equally groggy voice confirmed his worst fears. Against impossible odds, he'd hoped that Colby had escaped Noshimuri's ambush. Sadly not.

"Danny? Hey, you with me, buddy? You okay?"

Still groaning as Colby helped him to sit up, Danny nodded while ruefully rubbing his neck.

"Damn tazers. When I get hold of the kid that zapped me, I'm gonna zap _him_ where the sun doesn't shine."

"And I'll be right behind you, but I think that'll have to wait a while. We have to get out of here and find him first," Colby replied quietly, his frown deepening as movement beneath him fell into an unmistakeable deceleration. "We're on a boat. Moving fast when I came round, but I think we've stopped now."

"Yeah, that figures," Danny agreed, glancing around the small cabin that was now their prison. "If Noshimuri wants to dump us at sea, he'll want to get us there before Steve can find us."

When the response he'd been expecting didn't come, he turned back to find out why – as surprised as he was worried by the haunted expression that had settled in Colby's eyes. He'd only known him for a few hours, but Colby Granger didn't seem the type to get seasick.

"Damn, you look like I feel. Are _you_ okay?"

Swallowing down the bile of his memories, Colby nodded through a shakily unconvincing smile.

"Yeah, just… just bad stuff, Danny. Memories I wish to God I didn't have."

No stranger himself to those blights on his psyche, Danny nodded, and stayed tactfully quiet. The detective in him craved for answers. The humanitarian in him realized this wasn't the time.

Besides, they had enough to deal with already. He and his new partner were in _serious_ trouble. Their captors had taken their guns, _and_ their phones. Denied them all obvious chance of rescue. Luckily this Jersey boy had a few tricks up his sleeve too. Well, not his sleeve. Judging by their untidy looseness, they'd searched them thoroughly too. In a late act of defiance, Danny lapped them carefully back up to his elbows. Yes, they'd kicked him into unconsciousness, but _no-one_ messed with his clothes.

And just as he'd hoped, in their foolishly smug sense of superiority, they'd made a mistake. They'd left his tie alone. After all, what kind of weapon could anyone possibly hide in a flimsy strip of cloth?

As Colby himself was now stunned to discover, you could hide the difference between life and death – a thin strand of carefully sculpted metal that, in the right hands, could get you out of the tightest spot.

"I thought I knew every trick in the book, but… damn, that's a new one on me," he said at last, watching in relieved admiration as Danny crawled over to the door and set to work on its lock.

"Yeah, it'll be a new one for Steve too," Danny agreed, grinning back at him over his shoulders, before he sighed through a rueful shrug. "When I saw that ambush, I guessed what was coming. I figured if they were going to do to me what they did to Steve's sister… well, this might come in handy. So I put this wire into my tie, and hoped for the best. I mean, who thinks to look for a lockpicking wire in a tie?"

Happier now that he'd deceived their captors, and cheered further by Colby's approving laughter, Danny grinned back at him. Even in this dire situation, he couldn't resist a gentle dig at the partner, who, he knew, would be tearing Hawaii apart with his bare hands to find them.

"And you know Steve, he's like MacGyver sometimes. Just remind me to tell him that _I_ used to watch it too."

"You got it," Colby chuckled, clearly impressed, and cheered even more by an unmistakeable click. "If you've got a life-raft in there, you'll make MacGyver McGarrett look like an amateur."

After what they'd been through, it was a welcome moment of humour that sealed a new friendship. They couldn't celebrate for long, though. Both of them knew they weren't out of this mess yet. Their captors could still be lying in wait for them, on the other side of a tiny crack of daylight.

Even when they made it, unchallenged, onto the deck, they were both still primed for attack. Just because they couldn't hear or see their captors didn't mean they weren't there, and… oh, _hell_. Oh, _serious_ hell.

No wonder there was no-one around now to challenge or subdue them. Noshimuri had seen to that.

A bomb was strapped to the boat's controls, booby trapped against all attempts to defuse it. Inescapable death, counting out their lives in a '_tick_' '_tick_' '_tick_' of relentlessly decreasing seconds.

Three hundred seconds. Two nine nine. Two nine eight. Or, in terrifyingly shorter time, less than five minutes.

Frozen for a fraction of one of those seconds, Colby and Danny then reached the same, instant decision – both diving into the water, and hitting for the distant shore as soon as their heads broke its surface.

Neither of them dared to look back, to work out how far they were from death. How close to safety. Every ounce of strength and concentration was focussed instead on speed. Smoothness. Rhythm. Making every kick of their legs, every pull of their arms count, in this desperate race for their lives.

Each one of them dragged them closer to safety. Pulled them further away from that deadly countdown. Two minutes down, three to go.

One hundred and eighty seconds.

One seven nine.

One seven eight.


	6. Chapter 6 Lost and Found

Wow, chapter six already, and those plot bunnies are still hopping away. I know I'm tempting fate here, but as things stand, this story will run for a total of ten chapters.

I was so tempted to end this one with another cliffie, but - no, I think Danny, Colby, and you poor readers have suffered enough. For all you Numb3rs fans, there's another reference to Trust Metric here - it still ranks as one of my all time favourites.

Enjoy!

Calculated Risk - Chapter Six

Lost And Found

As the chopper swept over the suburbs of Honolulu, Steve McGarrett felt a crushing sense of déjà vu. Just two days earlier, he'd done exactly the same thing, in this same aircraft, to rescue his sister. Now he was searching, just as desperately, for his missing partner. Except this time it was different.

It wasn't just Danny's life on the line now, although God knew, that thought was terrifying enough. They'd taken Colby too, this enemy who'd stop at nothing to kill the people he cared about. His parents. But for the grace of God, Mary too, and… damn it, what the hell did he do now? What could he say, to the FBI agent who sat like stone beside him, scouring the ground below?

Colby was his friend too. What the hell must Don Eppes be thinking, for what he'd got them into?

"Don't worry, we'll find them."

Those five words, however quietly spoken, had still been enough to jerk Steve out of his thoughts, and turn to stare at Don with the same surprise. There was belief, reassurance, and strengthening faith in the older agent's eyes. Not the resentment that he'd expected to see. And what he said next made the fear that still gripped them just fractionally ease its grip.

"You've got yourself one hell of a partner, and if Colby's with him… yeah, they'll make it."

"Yeah, they're two of the most resourceful people I know," Steve replied through a sadly proud nod. "I know I'm the head of this unit, but… no, Danny's the real force behind it."

"That's why Noshimuri took him, Steve. He know how important he is to you," Don agreed – knowing from the jump along Steve's jaw that their relationship went beyond one of mere partners.

Danny Williams was as much a brother to Steve McGarrett as Charlie was to him, and… thank God. For so many reasons, this life or death call from his brother couldn't have come at a better time.

"Charlie, what have you got for us?"

In a rush of words, Charlie passed on the breakthrough that he, and Steve, had been praying for.

"A boat, Don. Leaving a marina where the van was dumped. No name for it yet, Kono's working on that, but it's a blue and white launch."

"But we have the marina, Steve. It's the Keehi," Chin added through their headsets – his next words swinging the odds that had been stacked so highly against them slightly back in their favour. "I've called the coastguard and Pearl. They're in the air now."

"So they'll be passing through Waikiki," Steve cut in, already banking the chopper sharply east – pushing it steadily down into search and rescue altitude as it shot towards the distant glint of ocean.

By the time they reached the water, they were so low that surfers below them instinctively ducked. A few raised their fists in ignorant protest, but Steve didn't care. Hell, he didn't even see them. All he cared about right now were two missing friends, and this race against time to save their lives.

To his left, he saw a welcome flash of red. The unmistakeable outline of a Coastguard Dolphin search and rescue chopper. Vital back-up that Danny would have nagged him to get was right there with him, and… _Danny_.

The thought of losing him still terrified Steve to his core, and… no, _damn_ it, that _wasn_'_t_ an option.

'_Hang on_, _Danno,_ _I_'_m_ _coming for you_, _partner_, _just hang on._'

Hanging on too, for dear life, beside him, Don was thinking the same for _his_ surrogate brother – memories giving his version a variable that brought past and present despair into a spark of comforting hope.

'_We got to you before_, _Colby. _W_e_'_re_ _gonna get to you now._'

There were still differences, of course, between this race to find his friend and the one before. A private launch was much smaller than a freighter. That, of course, would make it harder to find. Against this expanse of endless blue, it was like looking for a needle in that proverbial haystack.

Even with high-power field glasses, Don couldn't see anything that matched Chin's description. Yachts, yes, in full and beautiful sail. Cruise ships too, carrying tourists on their trip of a lifetime. But no blue and white launch. No sign of the boat that imprisoned two very special friends.

No doubt Charlie would have some kind of name for it. A variable for such impossible odds. Then it happened. The words that he and Steve had been praying to hear made the impossible possible.

"Commander McGarrett, we have them. Bearing one five zero degrees. Moving in to intercept."

Less than a second later, hope turned to horror as a flash of orange erupted ahead of them – the voice that crackled through their headsets turning their worst fears into heartbreaking reality.

"It's exploded. The Red Sun has exploded. She's on fire."

Another pause, a handful of seconds that felt like an eternity, before their worlds collapsed around them.

"I see two bodies in the water. Retrieval team going in now."

Silence. Complete devastation. Ten seconds later, that devastation turned to tears of purest joy.

"Commander, we've got them. They're in pretty bad shape, but they're okay."


	7. Chapter 7 In Safe Hands

So, Colby and Danny are safe, but - oh dear, I feel some more whumpage coming on. Sorry, Danny, but you're just so adorable when you're suffering! Besides, I need to keep my whumpage loving reviewers happy!

Don't worry, there's some good old fashioned snarkiness too, and even more in chapter eight ;o)

Calculated Risk - Chapter Seven

In Safe Hands

The rotors were still turning, dangerously close to the top of his head, but Steve McGarrett didn't care. His flight trainer would have thrown a damn library at him, let alone a single book, for the stunt he'd just pulled. 'Unsafe egress' from an aircraft broke every rule in the book. Steve still didn't care.

All he cared about was reaching the gurney in front of him, as fast as pounding legs could get there – so fast that the EMTs around it had to move smartly aside before they were skittled to the ground.

Don Eppes was right beside him, making an equally instinctive beeline for the other gurney beside it – both of them skidding to a perfectly synchronised halt beside the figures that lay huddled upon them. Cocooned in blankets, it was only a tangled mop of blond hair that told those two figures apart.

Beyond their relief, both still dreaded what they'd find. Steve, especially, was expecting the worst. The Yakuza were sickeningly famous for their ruthless brutality, and… oh, _God_. Those _bastards_.

Staring down at the cuts and bruises that covered Danny's face, he felt his breath hitch in his throat – a groggy apology behind him only adding to the fury, the tide of rage, that now surged through him.

"I'm – I'm sorry, Steve. I – I tried to protect him, but… but they – they were just too strong."

Reminded that Danny hadn't been the only victim of Noshimuri's revenge, Steve turned around, hoping that Colby didn't misinterpret the fresh anger he felt as he studied his friend's haggard face. It wasn't as bloodied as Danny's, but there was still a mass of bruises along Colby's left cheekbone – testament enough that everything he'd done to try and protect Danny had been brutally subdued.

"I know you did, Colby. It's okay, we got you back, and you're gonna be okay," he said at last, forcing a smile through a fresh surge of fury – knowing from the tremor than ran through his voice that Don Eppes felt the same way.

"Yeah, we got you back, Colby. You're going to be alright, so is Danny. Just let the EMTs work on you here, okay?"

A shaky smile was welcome, of course. But all three of them still needed professional confirmation. Unsurprisingly for what he'd been through, Danny's eyes were closed, and he was worryingly pale. He was silent too, despite the activity around him, and that _always_ set Steve's alarm bells ringing – his next question to one of the EMTs as much for Colby's benefit, and Don's, as it was for his own.

"How is he?"

Given the state of his friend, the EMT's reply was reassuringly positive as he checked Danny's vitals.

"He's taken a real beating, and at least two hits from a stun gun. But there's no sign of internal injury, so… yeah, he'll be okay."

Slightly happier now, Steve nodded. A weak but unmistakeable voice made him all out ecstatic.

"T – Tol' you I could swim. Distance medal, N - Newark High, 1991… record still stands, so - so there."

Pain had threaded every word, but that irrepressible smile was undoubtedly there. And when Danny's eyes finally opened, all the tension and terror of the last few hours melted away. The weight of the world lifted from Steve McGarrett's shoulders.

"Hey, I never doubted you for a second, Danno," he grinned, gently ruffling Danny's hair – everything else that he was trying to say understood, and returned, in two sleepily blinking eyes. Beyond the pain and exhaustion within them, the unbreakable bond between them was still there.

But then Danny's smile faded slightly, reminding them both that he was still badly hurt – a deepening wince, and a worrying slur in his voice, causing a fresh buzz of activity beside him.

"St've? I – I don' feel so good."

Now it was Steve's turn to move smartly aside as the EMT set to work again, frowning as he pressed his stethoscope against Danny's chest.

"I'm getting an irregular heartbeat," he reported at last, studying two sets of welts on Danny's neck. "The shocks from that, and the exertion from that swim has knocked his rate out of rhythm."

He'd spoken calmly enough, as EMTs could unfailingly do, but the urgency beyond was obvious. Two extra pairs of hands now lifted Danny's gurney, and then Colby's, into the ambulance behind them.

With so much equipment inside it, and two briskly working EMTs, there wasn't much room left. But that didn't stop Steve and Don from planting themselves, immovably, at the foot of Colby's bunk. And Steve's heartrate wasn't far away from the '_beep_' '_beep_' '_beep_' on the monitor next to Danny's. It was unnaturally fast. Worryingly erratic. And Danny's face was now haggard with pain.

Whatever the EMT then injected into his IV took that suffering away, with merciful speed. As the drugs took effect, so the wildly jumping signal settled into a steadier, more natural rhythm.

Even so, Steve's heart still felt like it was going to burst out of his chest as he watched his friend – oblivious to the sudden acceleration beneath him, or the wail of sirens that now cleared the way to the nearest ER.

Yes, his partner was safe, his condition visibly improving, but – no, that still wasn't enough. It didn't stop Steve McGarrett from making two injured friends the same heartfelt promise.

'_I_'_ll_ _find them._ _I swear to God_, _I_'_ll_ _find them. A__nd I_'_ll_ _make them wish they_'_d_ _never been born._'


	8. Chapter 8 VIPs Very Important Patients

We start this chapter with two bits of good news. Danny and Colby are safely in the hospital, and the story itself is now finished. There are still a few surprises to come in the final two chapters - but for now, it's time for Team McGarrett to enjoy Danny and Colby's return.

I've put them in the same room too, for both the serious reasons you'll find out about in the next chapter, and the not so serious reason that ends this one.

Thank you again for your encouraging reviews. I'm so happy that you're enjoying this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

Calculated Risk - Chapter Eight

VIPs (Very Important Patients)

Danny Williams woke into a confusing world. Since when did the Pacific smell of disinfectant? And since when did nurses loom like that, or have more muscles and tattoos than Popeye?

"Danny? Hey, c'mon, partner, wake up now. You've been sleeping long enough."

_Steve_?

Damn, he'd died and gone to hell. Where else could SuperSEAL be a freakin' nurse?

Blinking up at his friend, Danny couldn't help but feel peevishly cheated. This wasn't fair! He was hurt. Not just Band-Aid and icepack hurt either, but all out, hospital-bed-and-IVs-and-monitors hurt.

The least he deserved was a pretty nurse to mop his suffering brow, and… well, wasn't that just his stinking luck? He had Steve instead.

A worried Steve, he realized, frowning slightly as fragments of memory connected through the fog of sedatives and painkilling drugs. The ambush. The boat. The bomb. Colby.

Strong but gentle hands held his shoulders, stopping his irrational, panic driven attempt to sit up. An equally gentle voice soothed the rest of it away, until he sank gratefully back into his pillows.

"Easy, Danny, you're okay, you're safe now. Colby is too, you're gonna be okay."

He'd always trust his partner's word, of course, but Danny still needed to see this miracle himself – turning his head, ignoring the waves of nauseous pain, until a bruised but smiling face swam into view.

"Hey, roomie… 'bout time you woke up."

Managing a tired grin in return, Danny then resumed a slow study of where he and his roomie were – his eyes widening as he realized how many people stood, in a protective cluster, around their beds.

Steve, of course, took pride of place at his shoulder, with Chin and Kono flanking his side. Don and Charlie had taken up the same stance with Colby, and… jeez, what the hell was in this IV?

Two guards at the door? _Armed_ guards? Damn, his gung-ho partner was now Captain Cautious.

He wasn't taking _any_ chances with keeping them safe here. Then again, Danny wasn't surprised. They'd had a close call this time, too close for _anyone_'_s_ comfort. It was a miracle they'd survived.

His next question was obvious. So was the exhaustion, and pain, in the voice that weakly asked it.

"How – How did you find us?"

'Blind luck' was the truthful answer, but… well, Steve couldn't bring himself to be so coldly clinical. This was his partner, after all, and he'd just come terrifyingly close to dying. Not just once, but twice. When the Coastguard had picked them up, a school of Tiger sharks had been less than fifty feet away.

"A security guard saw you at Keehi marina, and called it in," he said at last, glancing across at Don – knowing from the subtlest nod that the FBI agent understood why he'd kept his reply so casual, and left the worst parts out of it.

If Danny found out about those sharks, he'd freak out – and he really wasn't strong enough for that. So when Danny frowned quizzically up at him, his next reply went through the same judicious editing.

"Between me, the Coastguard and Pearl Harbour's search and rescue, we managed to spot you."

Thank God for those meds, he thought dryly, as Danny accepted this explanation with a sleepy nod. If he wasn't so doped up, he'd have been sitting up in bed by now, demanding to meet his rescuers.

When he found out the truth, there'd be hell to pay. But for now, Steve just savoured this moment. His partner looked like he'd gone ten rounds with a meat grinder. Colby, too, looked like hell. But he was _alive_. So was Colby. For their exhausted friends and partners, nothing else mattered.

Their doctors had recommended three days rest, at least, to give their injuries time to heal. Through another exchange of '_yeah_, _right_' grins, Steve and Don knew that was hopelessly unlikely. Hell, Danny couldn't keep still for three minutes, let alone three days. The same went for Colby.

They'd be out of those beds, and back on the case, long before those three days were up.

Danny, of course, couldn't wait for just one of those days to pass. Even flat on his back, hooked up to IVs and a precautionary heart monitor, he was back on the case already.

"So what's happening with Noshimuri? Did you find the bozos who took us?"

Rolling his eyes, in proud admiration for his partner's resilience, Steve then shook his head – glancing at Don again, with the same amused knowledge that Colby was just as much of a handful.

"No, we're… uh, still working on that," he said at last, gently patting his partner's shoulder – knowing that Danny would hate this enforced idleness, but also knowing it was for the greater good. "Let us take care of the case, okay? You and Colby just work on getting back on your feet."

To his relief, Danny didn't argue but accepted his lot with a hopeful smile as he glanced over at Colby.

"So, roomie, what're the nurses like? Cute? Single? Built like SuperSEAL here?"

"Well, _mine_'_s_ an angel," Colby retorted, his grin widening as he, too, relaxed into his pillows. "But _yours_ makes my old drill sergeant look like Mary Poppins."

Watching Danny's reaction, five now chuckling friends made a tactful retreat for the door – all of them knowing that the peaceful calm in room 1218 wouldn't last for long. Hell, they were at it already.

"Hey, if we're roomies, that _should_ mean we share!"

"Oh yeah? I've never heard of that rule, Danny, who made _that_ one up?"

"It's a Jersey thing, okay? If you, or your partner, end up in the same hospital room, you play like _nice_ partners, and share. TV. Food that your friends bring in for you, and - yeah, cute single nurses that are actually human!"

"Yeah, well, I have this thing too, what I like to call the Idaho Variant. He who wakes up first gets to bag the best looking nurse."

Silence, for all of five seconds, before battle recommenced.

"Bite me."


	9. Chapter 9 Know Thine Enemy

Well, here we are with the penultimate chapter. I've used a bit of licence here, because I think Steve would have offered Colby, Don and Charlie a place to stay at the house. After all, it's pretty big, and most friends will put you up during a visit. There's also the more serious reason that I outlined in last chapter's writer note, and which you'll find out about in this one.

There's a quick reference to 1.08 Belief, since the events in that episode tie in with the discovery that Steve makes in this chapter. So please read on, and let me know what you think!

Calculated Risk - Chapter Nine

Know Thine Enemy

Having the house full of guests, Steve dryly reflected, had its good points and bad. On the plus side, it took away its haunting silence. Brought life back into once empty rooms. But he also had to feed them all – and one guest in particular was determined to make the most of it.

Not that he minded. Not really. A healthily hungry Danny Williams was _always_ a good sign. After living on jello and - the horror - healthy hospital food for the last two days, he was clearly making up for lost time. He'd demolished two slices of pizza already and, to Steve's amusement, now did the same to a third.

The other recuperating patient, too, was destroying _his_ slice as he'd once done to his Army rations, causing both Steve and Don to trade amused glances, and shake their heads in fond relief as they headed into the kitchen for fresh supplies.

"I hope you realize, Steve, those two will eat you out of house and home," Don told him, pulling another carton of juice from the refrigerator.

"Don't worry, Don, I'll find a way to make Danny pay for it," Steve grinned, piling baskets of pretzels, peanuts and dips onto a tray with the skill of a wannabe waiter, and laughing out loud at the _'I bet you_ _will_' chuckle that followed him back to the den.

There were more serious reasons, though, for turning the house into this unlikely bed and board. For one thing, it kept his team, not to mention Colby, Don and Charlie, safe from further attack. It also ensured that he could plot their next move without the risk of tipping off the man behind it. Because that's what they were facing now. A disturbing twist to an already complex investigation.

While Danny and Colby recovered from their ordeal, Steve and Don had kept working the case, giving every lead they found to Charlie, until his analysis came up with an unsettling conclusion.

'_Everything in this data points to the same thing. Steve,_ _you have an information leak. A __mole._'

After the attack that had almost cost Danny and Colby their lives, Steve wasn't taking any chances, especially when Chin checked their office for bugs, and found listening devices in all of their phones.

That had done it for Steve, who'd left the Palace straight after, his face like a thundercloud, and bought them all disposable cells. Then he'd come home, with Chin and Don, and they'd swept the house from top to bottom – only calling the rest of the team in when they were positive that every room was clean and clear.

Fearing that even armed guards could be compromised, they'd then driven back to the hospital – collecting a startled Danny and Colby from their room with flak jackets on, and guns at the ready.

Now they were back at this new base of operations – even if Danny still found it hard to believe why.

"We were _bugged_? You're saying someone in HPD is on Noshimuri's payroll?" he said at last, staring at Steve, then Charlie, clearly upset as memories of that still painfully personal case returned.

Was that what the whizkid was saying? The mole in HPD was still there? Had Meca died for nothing?

"No, Charlie, we _had_ a mole," he went on, trying hard to keep the fury of his thoughts out of his voice, but not quite managing it. "We found him, and put him out of commission, when Meca was… during another case."

"Yes, I – I know. Steve told me that while you and Colby were in the hospital," Charlie agreed, offering him a sympathetic smile, before glancing up at Steve - encouraged by a 'go ahead' nod to take a deep breath and stick to his guns.

"And I am so sorry about what happened to your partner. What happened to him was truly horrible, but my analysis is still conclusive. _Everything_ you do is being leaked to Noshimuri."

"And remember, Danny, that Mary was kidnapped, and the box was stolen _after_ she called HPD about dad's investigation," Steve reminded him, hoping that his partner's outburst, however understandable, hadn't dented Charlie's confidence. "That's why I asked Chin to personally find the two guards that I posted to your hospital room. I needed people _away_ from HPD that _he_ knew, and that _I_ could trust to keep you and Colby safe."

It was a lot to take in, especially when you'd been kidnapped, beaten to a pulp, and dumped on a booby-trapped boat. Danny had winced too, still feeling the effects of bruised ribs and thankfully shortlived tachycardia. So it was a relief, to everyone, when his eyes cleared, regaining their focus as he finally nodded – an apologetic glance towards Charlie met with a warm smile that sealed another unlikely friendship.

Steve knew those friendships would be more valuable than ever now, to fight a still deadly threat. Danny knew it too, just as he knew that threat now included a once unthinkable betrayal.

"So where do we go from here?" he asked quietly, glancing around six now equally serious faces – his eyes finally settling on Steve, in a look that shared the same suspicions, and the same fears that a seemingly supportive friend had been betraying them. "I mean, the Governor set this task force up, Steve. And we _both_ saw her meeting with him."

"Yeah, I know, Danny. Aside from the people in this room, I don't know who to trust any more," Steve agreed, rubbing kinks of tension from the back of his neck while he considered a once unthinkable thought.

Could the woman who'd asked him, so insistently, to head up this team _really_ be their enemy?

He didn't want to believe it, and yet… no, the evidence against her was just too strong to ignore. He couldn't let personal feelings put six lives at risk. He'd almost lost two of them already.

Steve could feel their eyes on him now. Danny and Colby sat watching him, waiting for his decision. His partners. His friends. His brothers in arms. Two of the bravest people that he'd ever known, and whose commitment to him lifted a crushing weight from his shoulders. It didn't matter what level this fight would go up to. Where he led, he knew Danny and Colby would follow.

That same unity was on every face now, as Steve studied each of them in silent gratitude. Then, releasing a breath he'd not even realized he'd been holding, he gave them their orders.

"If she's behind this, Danny, if she has _any_ part in threatening this team… we take her down."


	10. Chapter 10 Target Acquired

Well, here we are, at the end of what's been quite a ride for Steve and his team. I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

I've left the ending open for a future sequel (I'm working on some ideas, Claire, and thanks so much for the inspiration!). But for now, I'll close this story with some issues resolved, and others left open for Team McGarrett to take on in the next.

Thank you again to everyone who has taken the time to leave reviews and suggestions, and I hope to be back here soon.

Calculated Risk - Chapter Ten

Target Acquired

Steve McGarrett knew the reaction that his question would cause. But he still asked it anyway.

"You sure you're up to this?"

Rolling his eyes, in a way that only he could, Danny then shot his friend an equally familiar glare – the same measures of appreciation and exasperation betraying themselves in a genuinely grateful smile.

"Yes, Mary Poppins, I'm sure. I wouldn't have suggested it otherwise," he said at last, recognizing that nannying concern for what it was, and too touched by it to be offended. His partner, his friend, was worried about him, and - well, that's what partners and friends did.

However independent you were, however fiercely you kept that independence, it was a good feeling.

Still picturing Steve flying over London's chimneytops as a beefed up Julie Andrews, Danny bit his cheeks against a tide of laughter, and explained, for the sixth time that morning, why they'd come to the ground of a potential enemy.

"Look, if she's really involved in this, if she knew about that ambush, the last person she'll be expecting to see striding into her office is me, right?"

Aneurysm-Face told him that Steve still wasn't happy, so Danny sighed and tried again – still tender ribs and lingering soreness restricting the usual rant to softly emphatic reasoning.

"Hey, you're always saying how well I read people, right? If she's in on this, I'll know. Okay?"

Faced with such logic, not to mention Jersey-side stubbornness, Steve finally nodded in reluctant defeat. He'd never admit it aloud, of course, or he'd never hear the end of it, but… no, Danny was right. With years of training and experience behind him, his partner could read people as well as any professional profiler. He could recognize lies and deception a mile off. So yes, if Governor Jameson really _was_ in Hiro Noshimuri's pocket, if she'd had any knowledge on the attempt on Danny's life, then Danny would be able to see it.

He still made a point, though, of keeping his hand on Danny's shoulder as they entered her office – his own eyes searching her face for her reaction, before they met Danny's in private agreement.

The shock on her face as she strode forward to greet them was genuine. You couldn't fake a reaction like that.

"Daniel? My God, Laura told me what happened when I got back last night. She said you'd been hurt, but I had no idea it was this badly. Are you alright?"

Filing that seemingly innocuous comment away for later analysis, Danny smiled at her and nodded, accepting her offers of a comfortable seat and a reviving mug of coffee with politely courteous grace.

"Yes, ma'am. Kinda sore still, but… yes, I'm fine."

"We're still following up leads, Governor. Trying to identify who did this," Steve added quietly, the deceptive softness in his voice promising revenge for everything that his friend had suffered.

Pat Jameson had heard that tone, and seen that expression, enough times to know what they meant. Yet if she felt any disapproval, for the hell that was about to hit her island, she certainly didn't show it. Instead she just nodded, watching Danny with the same protective concern as he related his ordeal – every response subtly watched, analyzed and, even if she didn't know it, steadily built in her favour.

When she left them to fetch a fresh pot of coffee, Danny glanced at Steve, and shook his head.

"It isn't her, Steve. Even with her connections to Noshimuri, she wasn't in on that ambush."

Nodding agreement, Steve sighed through the same conflicting emotions of relief and frustration. She hadn't had any part in the plot to kill his partner, but they were still no closer to finding out who had, or who had leaked their movements to the hit squad that had attacked them.

As they drove back to the house, both hoped that Charlie had found them more leads to work on. Judging by the hive of activity that greeted them in the den, he'd certainly found _something_.

Amidst a clutter of papers and photographs, everyone was huddled over their clattering laptops. But it was left to Don to channel his brother's hyperspeed chatter into a softly calm summary.

"We have a new suspect, Steve. His name's Wo Fat. He's an associate of Hiro Noshimuri."

"Yeah, I've seen him before," Steve nodded, explaining the rest to his startled partner, and the rest of his equally surprised team. "You didn't see him, Danny, you'd already left with Hiro. But he was with the Noshimuris when we arrested Hiro at the golf course."

"Yeah, and he's just as much a charmer," Danny muttered, reading over Colby's shoulder. "You name it, he's had a hand in it. Drugs, prostitution, extortion, money laundering. But he's never been charged."

"Yeah, well, that's gonna change, Danno. He's up against _us_ now," Steve replied just as quietly, his turn to stare now, as Chin dropped another gently broken bombshell.

"And look who else he knows, Steve. These were taken a few weeks ago, when he visited an inmate at Halawa."

Staring at the CCTV images on Chin's screen, Steve felt his throat constrict with a fresh surge of hatred. Damn it, he should have known. When he finally spoke, he put a lifetime of bitterness into a single word. A single name.

"Hesse."

Fighting back a tide of emotions, Steve looked back at the image in front of him while recalling Malmo's description of his mother's killer. A six foot Asian male. Wo Fat's profile and police ID photo logged him as a shade over five eleven. And for Steve, a seemingly unconnected encounter now took on a new, highly significant meaning. So did the smug '_I-know-something-you-don_'_t_' smirk that he'd seen on an equally arrogant face.

Everything was falling into place now. The investigation into HPD that had cost his parents their lives. The attack on him, the stolen Champ-box, and Mary's abduction. What had just happened to Danny and Colby. All of it now connected together.

There was only one way that someone who was involved in so much crime could evade justice. Someone in HPD was getting rid of any evidence that could expose him, and brutally killing anyone who tried to take him down.

Well, not any more. He'd ruined countless lives. Killed too many people. Escaped justice for too long. Enough was enough.

Glancing around at six equally determined faces, Steve finally smiled, so proudly, back at them. His team, both his own and the one he'd inherited, was on the case now, and that meant only one thing. Wo Fat, his mole in HPD, and anyone else who associated with them, were living on borrowed time.

Target acquired. Now he'd take that target down.


End file.
